EIGHT
Hyuuga Hinata had stepped upon a boulder to take a great view of the horizon. The small flower she had in hand was swaying with the wind as she gazed off at the distance. A smile bloomed from her timid face and her cream white eyes were jovial.
"Hinata?" Sakura climbed up the boulder and watched the panorama the Hyuuga admired. "Wow…"
"It's really beautiful." She mumbled. "I wonder if Naruto sees this as well."
"Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"W-what? I mean—" Hinata began blushing. Her pointy fingers repeatedly touched. "I mean Naruto is…"
Ring!
Sasuke sighed before flipping his cellular phone open. He increased the distance between him and the two ladies before speaking. "What?"
"Not in the mood?" Itachi replied.
"Hn."
"Seems like you have a problem, otouto." The older Uchiha muttered.
"Oh really?"
"Yamanaka-san just approached me about minutes ago about your short chat."
"That?" Sasuke lifted his brow. "Whatever."
"It was predictable that you'd say that." The caller seemed to smile by the way he said those words. "But to remind you, she's a guest student. Guests should be treated with hospitality."
"You go and treat them with hospitality. The hell I care." Sasuke was to end the call when Itachi spoke in a calm authoritative voice.
"See me in my office."
The Uchiha slipped the phone into his pocket and looked up. He saw Sakura looking at him with curiosity. "It's nothing." He said without even asking for her question.
Sakura forced a smile and then continued gazing at the sunset scene.
- - -
"Hey, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto appeared to bounce as he moved through the corridor minutes before dinner.
Sasuke was walking in a way that he actually ignored Sakura who was tailing him. He just moved about, shunning people as he walked gracefully. On the other hand, the pink head bumped into every individual in her way while she followed Sasuke.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's grin widened when he approached the lady.
"Oh, hi." She replied with a smile.
"I saved you a seat." His whiskers stretched on his cheeks.
Sasuke eyed him as if asking if he was serious.
"Oh, grab yourself a seat Sasuke-teme. I kind of forgot to do so."
"Hn." Sasuke turned his back on them and was to walk when Naruto yelled "oi" repeatedly to stop him. The raven head sighed and followed the blonde as he moved through the increasing crowd.
The seats (Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto but he saw that there were three seats ready for them) were near the window. Actually, it was the same table they took for breakfast. Each sat at his and her own place before settling down with ease. Sasuke immediately checked his cellular phone; Naruto spoke to Sakura as soon as he saw that she was free of someone to converse with; Sakura, who knew that she could not escape the conversation with the blonde easily, placed her chin on her open palms and tried to look as interested as possible.
The Uchiha was oblivious of the world around him. The recent message he got came from a mobile phone not recorded in his phonebook. He reread the numbers displayed on the screen before concluding that it came from the man with silver hair and round glasses. He chose the option "open" and read the message.
Time is of the essence. Before the Suna siblings leave that island, kill Gaara.
He didn't know the point of killing Temari. He didn't even get why he had to kill Sarutobi days before. The silver haired guy kept on telling him that it was all about politics—politics that he may never understand. Of course he'd never understand since no one cared to explain.
"When will I be able to see this boss you call?" Sasuke asked once.
"If he wants to see you." Light reflected on his glasses.
"When," he paused in hesitation, "will you let me free?"
"An Uchiha asking for freedom?" The man chuckled. "A statement everyone should hear."
Sasuke didn't find anything funny.
The man stopped and pushed his glasses up his nose bridge. "I really don't know." His sick smile crossed his face.
"Hey Sasuke-teme; oi, you deaf now?"
Sasuke automatically pocketed his phone and his head remained cold despite his surprise. Naruto and Sakura were staring at him.
"Are you alright? You look sick." Sakura made sure that she was of help.
"He looks alright to me."
The blonde and the pink head turned to see Neji standing behind Sakura's seat.
"Neji!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise when both of the Hyuuga's hands fell on her shoulders.
"I don't remember inviting you to come near here." Naruto scowled.
"I don't remember you having the right to take out my girl friend anytime you like." He replied.
"Oh, Neji, they're," she smiled and faced the two, "my friends."
"Stop me or I'll let out a guffaw." The Hyuuga squeezed her shoulders.
"Stop me or I'll kick your sorry ass!" Naruto bolted upright with both hands on the table.
"Please—"
"I would like to see if that happens." Neji set a firmer hold on Haruno's shoulder to interrupt her. His cream white eyes moved to the silent Uchiha who, to his slight dismay, was uninterested.
"Neji, please, let's leave okay?" Sakura eyed the two men at the table as an apology before pushing the Hyuuga away. Neji compromised for the very first time and moved away.
Naruto's lips were parted but he could only move his hand in a gesture of disbelief. His expressive blue eyes tried to meet those of the Uchiha. "And he walks away without limping?"
"Why didn't you hit him?" Sasuke muttered without even lifting his eyes to his best friend.
"Why didn't you care?" Uzumaki said exasperatedly.
"Is it my obligation?"
"Should it always be your obligation before you could even start acting?"
Sasuke stood up and proceeded to the banquet table to get his choice of dish.
"You're the king and…"
"…I'm the queen of heeeaaaarrrrtttttssssss!"
Sasuke was lying on his side and his head faced the wall. That night, Chouji, Shikamaru and Naruto thought it would be nicer to have a short singing contest which lasted about three hours. The lyrics flashed on the television screen as the videoke CD played. A couple running at the beach served as the background video of the music.
"God Shikamaru, you suck!" Naruto yelled.
"You got a score of fifty a while ago. I got eighty." Shikamaru lazily tossed the microphone to Chouji who had been laughing all the while.
"Chouji got perfect one-zero-zero." Naruto leered. "A hundred." He paused for a moment and then smiled. "Let's sing Dancing Queen!" Naruto got the remote and began pressing the 'next' button.
"No more Naruto or I'll kill you." Sasuke threatened.
"Come on Sasuke-teme! You're no fun!" Naruto threw him a pillow.
"Dancing Queen? You are homos." The Uchiha replied unenthusiastically.
"Ouch." Shikamaru winked at the blonde.
"Did it hurt to speak of your gender Sasuke?" Uzumaki added sugar to his words as he placed his hands on his chest.
The three suppressed their laugh when they saw the Uchiha shudder—or more of trembled out of fury. They knew in a matter of seconds, he would sit upright and speak through gritted teeth. He would ask them how they wanted to die or if he was more merciful, he'd curse them until they retreat to their beds.
"Look, he's moving." Chouji whispered.
"I bet five bucks that he would first glare and then hiss." Naruto mumbled.
"I bet five bucks that he would slide down the bed and trounce us." Chouji decided to take a ride in the gambling freeway.
"I bet ten bucks that he would slide down and shut the television off." Shikamaru placed his hands on his waist.
"Get ready to empty your piggy bank Nara." Naruto chuckled.
Sasuke sat upright and immediately slid off the bed. (Naruto's head dropped.) He went forward and passed them. (Chouji only smiled.) He took the remote and pressed the 'power' button.
"Money in." Shikamaru smiled.
"Come on! You're a cheater!" Naruto yelled but paid anyway.
Chouji, being good and sport and all, gave the money without hesitation.
"I told you he was going to shut it off." Nara pocketed the money and placed several pats on Naruto's back.
Sasuke stared at the black television screen while his hand remained holding the remote control. They're betting on my actions? Fuck. And he called them friends.
"Sasuke-teme, if you don't want us to sing, then you go and sing." The blonde shrugged.
I? Sing? Naruto, you bird brain. Sasuke muttered a "hn" before heading to the bed. "Go back to your rooms."
"We don't have a DVD player in my room." Chouji replied.
"And I think you're the only one who got this forty-eight by thirty-six inch television!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Then take the damn television." Sasuke placed a large pillow above his face.
Naruto made faces that made the other two laugh. "We'll not leave until you sing."
Sasuke's ear picked a terrible signal from the blonde. He was challenging him.
"Well, any man can take on this simple challenge. It wouldn't even waste a single trickle of your precious sweat."
"Hell I care."
"Oh, how could I even expect him to have the guts?" Naruto pretended to sound disheartened. "Maybe he's an hombre."
Sasuke's fists clenched. What the fuck did Naruto want?
"Just one song Uchiha and you'll be free of theses nuisance you call friends." Shikamaru added.
Seconds after debating whether to go or not, the Uchiha just found himself standing motionlessly in front of the television. A microphone was firmly held in one of his hands while he sang monotonously.
"Dancing Queen…" His lips lamely parted. "…see that girl…" Sasuke could feel Naruto swaying his arms wildly as if cheering the Uchiha or he was being carried away by the music. Chouji's laughs were included in the background music. Shikamaru sat on the floor clapping his hands.
Sasuke didn't understand what the hell he was doing either. The words were just spilling from his lips like he had never spoken before. Dancing Queen…
One night he was running fast—so fast that he stumbled over his own foot. He got up, rubbed his eyes, which was flooded with rare tears, and then continued his feeble steps towards the darkness. His arms seemed to pull his weight down and his head swirled with pain and anxiety. He was shouting while he darted to a vast area filled with mounds of stone.
Wait, they were not mere mounds of stone.
They were gravestones.
"NO!" A lady screamed and he saw her stumble before her. He stopped and picked up a spade after rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. He followed her as she backed away on her elbows until they reached the border of cemetery. "PLEASE!"
Sasuke gave a loud cry and hit the blonde lady at the head. Blood immediately sprinkled his shirt and pants. The lady gave a grotesque shudder before lifting her hand as if pleading for him to stop. "P-please…"
Sasuke shook his head and raised the spade effortlessly. Tears continued to blur his view. He bit his lip and pounded on the lady—not caring how she was hit and how cuts formed on varied parts of her body. Blood showered him with praises. Tears baptized him with grief. But mercy did not land on his head.
He was crying and killing and laughing and sobbing.
He dropped the microphone just before the song ended with the final "dancing queen" line. Naruto didn't notice it because he was singing out loud. Chouji continued to laugh. Shikamaru eyed the Uchiha, asking what was wrong.
Sasuke quickly recovered and suddenly shut the television. It took Naruto three seconds to realize that the music had stopped. He was to begin a rant when Shikamaru stood up and pushed the confused blonde out of the room. Chouji took the CD and followed the two out of the room.
Beep!
Sasuke turned and checked his cellular phone.
Is he dead?
Sasuke threw the cellular phone to his bed and retrieved the gun he hid under his bed. He looked at it for seconds and then grabbed a jacket before heading out the door.
- - -
The night was always hostile to Sasuke's body whenever he went out to kill. He also felt the same fear that was partly real and partly imaginative. But he must not care because he was in a mission.
Gaara's room was located at the third floor of the building across his. The information desk gave him the room number without question because Sasuke was, after all, Itachi's brother. It was easy to get there without being the least suspected. There were only few students loitering around and most preferred not to notice him.
207. He thought before pressing his ear against the door. No sound. He turned the knob and he was actually surprised to find it unlocked. Sasuke slipped into the room and afterwards closed the door behind him. He moved to the dark corner of the room and saw Gaara lying on the bed without any sign of motion.
The young Uchiha ambled to a better targeting view and positioned his gun, aiming at Gaara's head.
"What are you doing?"
Sasuke blinked twice and before he knew it, Gaara was standing in front of him. His sharp eyes boring deep into his head. Even though he looked pretty helpless in a pair of red blue pajamas, he still sent chills up the Uchiha's spine.
Pull the trigger god dammit! Sasuke's hand was shaking and as the red head drew nearer, the more violent his shaking became. Shoot! What the fuck—why can't you just shoot?
A hand enclosed over the barrel of the gun and the hand lowered the weapon easily. Sasuke dropped the gun and shook terribly despite the urge of his failing courage to move. He raised his fingers to just move them when a punch was delivered right against his abdomen. Sasuke went down on his knees and clutched his stomach.
"…" Gaara pulled on his hair and tilted his head so that he could see the Uchiha's face. "They wanted to kill and yet they sent…a boy."
Sasuke moved his limbs and tried to punch the red head but Gaara pulled his head back all the more. Onyx eyes searched the blue-green orbs before them for an answer to his fear. They read his captor's eyes and they found nothing. Gaara moved Sasuke's head further back before moving forward. He parted his lips and bit on the Uchiha's flesh.
"AAAH!" Sasuke's hands instantly shot up to push Gaara's face from his neck. The attempt was futile until such time that the Suna guest decided to free the raven head. He spoke almost inaudible words to his ear and then drew back before wiping the blood on his lips.
Sasuke remained on the floor with feet sprawled on the ground. "Why?"
Gaara turned his back on him and then opened the door. The Uchiha swaggered up and, after eyeing Gaara, went out.
He walked with imbalance as he made his way down the building. Once out of the doors, he headed to the little bridge that was over a pond that separated the two site of the building.
"Sasuke?"
He looked up and saw Naruto and Sakura standing there; based on their looks they had been waiting for him.
"I saw you go there." Naruto extended a hand.
Sasuke made a final step before his feet gave up. The two held him by both arms before taking him up with them.
"What happened to you?" Sakura asked in alarm.
Sasuke did not reply. He simply repeated the words Gaara told him.
"They want you dead."
Maybe that was the point he was in search of… that was why they sent him to Gaara in the first place.
END
A/N: Gaara has quite a part to play here. I'll try to venture to conspiracy and hopeless slavery outside the school campus. Wah, I made a weird chapter. Let's say I'm introducing you to the world of Sasuke beyond the school gates. Sorry for the late update! Thanks for the reviews!!!